Filipinos’ anxiety over online mis- and disinformation surged to its highest level since 2020, with 67% of adults expressing concern in early 2025—coinciding with the country’s tense political climate marked by the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte and the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court.
The latest Digital News Report from the Reuters Institute, released June 17, shows the Philippines outpacing both global (58%) and Asia-Pacific (60%) averages in disinformation concerns. The survey, conducted between mid-January and late February, included 2,014 Filipino respondents and over 97,000 participants worldwide.
Filipinos pointed to politicians (55%) as the leading source of disinformation, more than influencers (48%) or journalists (37%). Social media remained the dominant channel for encountering misleading content, especially Facebook (68%), TikTok (48%), and YouTube (39%).
Concern was especially high among women, older adults, and those with higher education or income levels. Residents in the Visayas also reported elevated levels of concern.
In response, more Filipinos have started verifying information themselves. Government websites (40%) edged out traditional news outlets (37%) as the most trusted verification sources, while fact-checking sites saw stronger engagement compared to global figures. Interestingly, AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Meta AI, and Google Gemini are also being used by younger Filipinos both for news access (9%) and verification (10%).
The report noted that while trust in news overall remains at 38%, in line with the global average, public trust in specific media outlets declined. News fatigue is also a rising issue, with nearly half of respondents saying they actively avoid news, citing reasons such as excessive political coverage and emotional toll.
Despite this, Filipinos remain more inclined than most to watch news content, especially through platforms like YouTube and TikTok. About 51% preferred watching over reading or listening, far above the 31% global average.
While AI-generated journalism is met with caution—only 21% were fully comfortable with it—more Filipinos welcome AI-assisted features like summaries and personalized recommendations. Still, many emphasized the need for truthfulness, balance, and transparency to regain trust in journalism.
